Thursday, July 17, 2014

Happy Birthday, Olfa! GIVEAWAY!

Do you remember life before rotary cutters?

I do!

The first bed sized quilt that I pieced and quilted in the early 1980s was a log cabin. I received a gifted box of scraps from a neighbor. I used an old yard stick and a pencil to draw parallel lines on my fabric, cut them out with an 8” pair of old dress making shears. I still have this log cabin quilt, but what a CHORE that was!

Then rotary cutters entered my life and there was no turning back. By far I think the invention of the rotary cutter is the greatest tool known to quilters. How many of us would NOT be quilting today if it weren’t for the rotary cutter!

And this is where Olfa comes in.

It’s the 35th anniversary of the event that made OLFA a well known word in every quilter’s vocabulary. And we are celebrating with a giveaway!

Rotary cutters don’t work by themselves – they require a partner – the Olfa Mat!

Happy Birthday, Olfa!

To celebrate, we are drawing for one lucky winner of the olfa gift pack shown here!

Leave me a comment telling me what year you first discovered rotary cutters! ((And how many of us have scars to prove it?? If you have a scar from a mishap…tell me that too! LOL!))

We’ll be drawing for this winner on Sunday Evening, July 20th! I’ll be back home from the cabin after dropping Mickey back at the airport!

Leave your comment in the comments section below on this post only. I will be using the random number generator to draw our lucky winner. If you are signing as anonymous, please leave your name and email address or we will have to draw again if we cannot contact you. That also goes for those of you who don’t show your email address in your blogger or google profile. No contact, no win!

If you are reading this post after clicking a link in facebook or some blog reader services, you need to open this page in a new browser window so you are directly on the page to be able to leave your comment. It may be better to just come to a real computer to leave your comment. Good luck!

997 comments:

I bought my first rotary cutter, mat and ruler in about 1984! What a wonderful invention! I'm sure I'd have given up quilting long ago if not for Olfa! Of course then I probably wouldn't have a stash which is taking over my life either! Lol!

Oh Bonnie - the memories!!! My first quilt was a sampler quilt made with cardboard templates and a yardstick. My first experience with a Olfa rotary cutter (which I still use) was an Eleanor Burns Log Cabin Quilt which is still being used. How the rotary cutters changed our lives. I would love to win a new one. Enjoy your quilty time with friends - there is nothing better.Faith in Maine

I started quilting using cardboard templates and scissors, and clearly remember seeing s rotary cutter for the first time. Talk about life changing!!! Thank you Olfa, for making quilting easier and better!

I bought my first cutter in the mid 80's and I remember thinking what a splurge it was to spend that amount of money on a quilting tool! I have one battle scar from when I was cutting fabric barefooted and dropped the cutter on the top of my foot. I danced as fast as I could and luckily only ended up with a ''nick" rather than a slice:)! Got lucky!!

I started quilting 5 years ago and cut out a zillion 2" squares with scissors...i had no idea there was such a thing as a rotary cutter! Duh! While shopping for backing for that quilt, I discovered them....note to self...don't wear shorts and stand while rotary cutting..and cut AWAY from your legs!Boppiesgirl at gmail dot com

Omg, I got on and read this early! Please enter me in the drawing! I have used rotary cutters since the early nineties, but I learned to use then correctly from Trudie Hughes in 1992. It was a light bulb moment and there has been no turning back since! Your techniques have made things go so much faster on top of all that, so thank you for everything. Julie, plutosmom@gmail.com

I bought my first olfa mat and cutter when we came back from the UK in 1990. I had never been to a Wal Mart at that point and my mom came for a visit and took me. We were in the sewing department. I didn't have my stuff yet but fell in love with this idea and had to have one.

I purchased mine at the recommendation of a LQS...for cutting fabric to make totes. That was long before I became a quilter. I love Love LOVE my Olfa's...all of them...big, small, and pinking!Happy Birthday to you,Happy Birthday to you,You are such a blessing,I couldn't quilt without you.:)*Time to blow out the candles :)

I bought my first rotary cutter, a Fiskers, about 1989...was not interested in quilting but my kids were grown so I needed an outlet for my sewing obsession(it keeps me sane). I have that original cutter yet but only use it on paper. I discovered Olfa a few years later and have not looked back. About 4 years ago someone gave me a Fons and Porter cutter as gift and I have a scar to prove it, I cut off a chunk on my left thumb while reaching into my organizer for something else. I lost that one in a fire when I lost my whole fabric stash, 3 machines and most of my tools. Thank God for good insurance.Lila Helm lila.helm48@gmail.com

I started quilting a little less than 3 years ago and my first purchase for my new hobby, aside from a beginners sewing machine, were an olfa rotary cutter and mat! I can't imagine having to cut all the little pieces for my quilts by hand since I'm already a somewhat sloppy cutter ;-) My rotary-cutting-cuts were all on my left index finger because I always seem to hurt myself when hold the fabric/ruler with my index finger too close to the edge -.-

I didn't even know how to thread a sewing machine when I decided I wanted to learn to quilt. I couldn't find anybody to teach me to sew first so I had to learn it all at once, I was in my late forties at the time about 6 years ago. Thank God for rotary cutters! I would not have the patience to do that entire log cabin you did Bonnie without. I know too many people who have cut themselves with a rotary so I started using a Klutz glove to protect my hand. I knew it would be my turn eventually to injury myself. Happy Birthday Olfa!!!

I think I first bought a rotary cutter in the late 1980's. I originally bought it to speed cutting of garment patterns for the new babies, and then got more into quilting. I have lopped of the "blade side" of the tip of my thumb and nicked the side of my index finger several times also. Bloody mess - literally. Thank you for your caring, generous spirit.Bonnie S.Wordjean1@yahoo.com

I've been needing a new mini mat and a rotary cutter to put in my quilting "to go" bag...I'd love to win. P.S. I remember helping my Granny cut out quilt squares by drawing lines on fabric using a card board template...if only we'd had a rotary cutter back then in the 70's!

I started quilting in 1998 and bought my first rotary cutter that year. My first quilt had some wide pieces that I didn't know how to do without a template so I used cardboard to make it work. No battle scars (yet) maureendixon@comcast.net

I probably did not discover the rotary cutter until the early 90's. I did cut my first quilt with a scissors also. Never have cut myself with the rotary cutter (hope this does not jink me!) Happy Birthday and thanks for the giveaway.

I started quilting when my son was stillborn, so rotary cutters were always a part of my life. My mishap - i had the cutter in my right hand and went to put it in my left and just touched my hand with the blade and it cut, I dropped the cutter and cut a whole in the fabric. So much for that strip :)

I wish my grandmother could have known about the rotary cutter. She used scissors and cereal boxes and a pencil to make templates. I used my first Olfa rotary cutter in 1978. I love their mats also. I would love to win and for sure would use this wonderful invention. Diannkyquiltymama@hotmail.com

I started quilting in 1973, with templates! WOW! The rotary cutter made such a difference, so I am adding my voice to the chorus of HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Olfa!!!! Thanks for coming into my life and making quilting so much easier!

I got my first cutter and mat before I had my last child. He is 22 next month. Before that, I had made a couple of quilts using cardboard templates and cutting with scissors. I cannot say "Thank You," enough, for such a great invention!-dwynette@appleberryquilts.com

I bought my first rotary cutter soooo many years ago, I can remember the year. It must have been when they first came on the market. I do remember using my "Joann's" coupon to save money. I'm still using my first cutter and I'm glad to say "NO" battle wounds..but..I have destroyed a few rulers....!!Love the give away.....Linda in West Jefferson.....

I started with cardboard and scissors in 1993with a group of quilters at the Baptist church making a Sampler quilt...it took about 5 years to finish....I discovered the rotary cutter and mat sometime around 1998... not sure...but ive been using one ever since ....

I discovered rotary cutting in 2007...and have cut my thumb, fingers, the backing of a quilt while attached to a finished quilt (that was not funny then, but hilarious now). Thank you as always for being so generous Bonnie =)

I discovered Olfa cutters and mats in 1986...it took a while to get the hang of using the cutter-especially for cutting clothing patterns-I was in heaven when they made the 8mm one for those curves - and I love the easy to hold handles and the automatic retractable ones are great when little ones are around!!!!

The first time I saw a rotary cutter was in 1985. Wow, it changed my life! No more rulers and drawing lines on fabric and cutting with scissors. The mats and rulers have improved so much from the early days. Thank you progress.

It was Christmas of 1991, my boyfriend at the time bought me, a quilting starter kit. Rotary cutter, matt, ruler, book "Its Okay to Sit on my Quilt" and a class at the LQS. I took the class and have been quilting on and off ever since. I still have the book and cutter. Thanks for the give a way.

I first got my rotary cutter and mat in 1999. I made my first quilt by tracing the templates, cutting with scissors and piecing by hand. I then moved up to a rotary. In about 2009 I was cutting small pieces and lack of concentration then oops...... Off with the tip of my middle finger on the my left hand. The only good thing about it was there was no nerve damage and school,holidays. I could recover before going back to work in the school camp kitchen.Lesson learnt.....CONCENTRATE

Happy birthday Olfa-I started quilting in 1981after visiting the USA and discovering patchwork My original mat and Olfa cutter I gave to a friend to get her " hooked on quilting and since discovering Bonnie Hunter my mat and cutter have been in constant use . To not have these valuable tools would be devastating as also would it be if you Bonnie stopped being such an inspiration to us all -Thank you for all your inspiration

when i started quilting they were already there…can't say i remember when they came on the scene…i can;t imagine life without them...i do have a scar but rather it is from my sewing machine…sewed through my finger and right thru the bone…had to go to ER and have X-rays to see where it was and froze and removed…in hindsight i should have just pulled it out with the pliers when it was still numb…that was i my first instinct but then i thought hummm i think that is through the bone…go with your first instinct

A friend of mine invited me to a quilt program at her guild just after I started quilting. I had made whole cloth quilts but never a pieced quilt. The instructions called for over a thousand pieces. I went immediately to a quilt store for a rotary cutter and mat.

I got my first Olfa rotary cutter in 2003 when my aunt introduced me to quilting. My rotary cutter has travelled on no less that 7 cruise ships and been to no less than 40 countries. Thank god no major injuries- yet.

i only started quilting a short while ago...but i know i would not be quilting today if not for the rotary cutter!...i'm a left-hander who always stumbled before she started by not being able to cut a straight line with a pair of scissors! thanks for the chance to win, ela rhiela@hotmail.com

I bought my first Olfa cutter and mat in 1979 or 1980 and I still have that first mat. The mat was/is rather stiff, thick and shiny and not nearly as nice as the "new-improved" ones we have now, and the cuts into that first mat didn't "heal" as well as they do now, either. You just can't beat a rotary cutter and mat!!

1999 when making my first quilt...a memory quilt full of growing up pics of my son and his fiance. Actually turned out so beautifully that my soon to be daughter-in-law's mom put it over the gift table at the wedding. Olfa and I became new best friends over that project!

I think it was the late 80s when I got my first rotary cutter Have cut some fingers, some pretty bad, some not so bad. Would love another mat and cutter! Thanks for all you do for the quilting world Bonnie, love your patterns .

Wow, not sure how long ago I got my first rotary cutter and mat, but I believe I am on #3 of my Olfa mat and cutter. I upgraded not that long ago to a self closing cutter and very large mat for my cutting table. I have not yet cut myself but I think it has just been lucky! That and since I am a chemist I take safety very seriously!

I'm thinking about 1993 I got my first rotary cutter! So far so good on the rotary scars, I've come close though!! I'm looking to purchase the Olfa circle rotary cutting system in the very near future, I have a project planned with circles and don't think my hands could handle all that scissor action.

I think I bought my first cutter and mat in the late 90's. Seems like I have had them forever!! They have made quilt making so much easier. I still remember helping my grandmother cut out diamond shapes for lone star quilts. Her templates were cut from sandpaper. THank you for a great giveaway.

I bought a rotary cutter only a little over a year ago, when I started quilting. I became a grandmother (twice) so I "had" to make 2 baby quilts :-)There are no quilt shops in the area where I live (Netherlands) and I hadn't found my way to web shops back then. I started cutting using cardboard templates and scissors and was very happy to discover a low-budget(the only one) rotary cutter in a nearby craft store.It is sharp but not easy to use, therefore a giveaway like this would be very welcome!

So, so many years I was a garment sewer, then decided to take up quilting in the 1980's, I scissor cut many many 2 1/2" squares and hand quilted for the first few years. Much too slow for me... Then found the rotary cutter and this changed everything about 1989 and used the sewing machine for piecing. Wow, so much faster and accurate, I have never looked back, just need more time to play with my stash! Thanks Bonnie for the chance and all that you do and introduce to all of us. Happy Birthday, Olfa (I'd sing but that would be scary).mnels72012@gmail.com

Not sure of the exact year, but it was the early 90's when I got back into quilting again. Before that it was all templates and scissors and I got tired of that so got out of quilting. The rotary cutter brought me back. I definitely have a scar - cut off the tip of my right index finger - a piece of skin was cut from my inner upper arm to sew over it!!

I inherited my aunt's quilting supplies when she passed away. 4 Olfa rotary cutters and 3 Olfa mats. I have been quilting for 2 years and I think of her every time I pick up my cutter to begin cutting fabric for a new project. Thanks for the giveaway!

I got my first rotary cutter, mat, and ruler around 1998. But they weren't used for quilting then, they were for cutting pre-quilted fabric to make handbags. I still use that cutter and ruler for quilting. I probably wouldn't have taken up quilting without these tools.

I didn't start quilting until 1988, but couldn't afford a rotary cutter until much later. My first quilt was a trip around the world from either Family Circle or Womens Day that the title claimed could be done in 8 hours. It took me 2 weeks and was only a baby quilt. Now I have MANY tops that need quilting. Thanks Bonnie for all the inspiration. Sandie Staley - bunihutch@hotmail.com

The day I bought a rotary cutter and mat was the day I put my sewing scissors away. The next time I discovered my scissors, they had a little rust on them! Funny how we quilters can't live without our rotary cutters. Thanks for the giveaway! shanequiltz@bellsouth.net

Hi Bonnie and friends! The first year I remember using a roller cutter and mat was about 1988. It has sure made a difference in cutting out quilts and clothing patterns! I once ran a roller blade between my thumb nail and the thumb. Talk about hurting! The doctor in the ER just kept shaking his head and trying to figure out how to sew it up! He finally put stitches on either side of the nail and butterfly taped the end of the thumb and nail together. Talk about painful....I still cringe when I think about it!

I bought my first rotary cutter when I started quilting about 6 years ago. I can't imagine quilting without it! Olfa is the best! It's the only brand I've purchased, and I've never had a problem with it :)

I think my first rotary cutter purchase was in 1990. My first quilt was also a Log Cabin, cut entirely with shears.Oh my, how far we've come!! Thank you Mr. Olfa!! And thank you Bonnie, for having this Giveaway! Have a great "mini retreat" weekend at the cabin!!

I used a rotary cutter since I started quilting but I have many quilts that my grandmother made using scissors and a treadle sewing machine. I treasure those quilts and all the love that she put into them.

Hi Bonnie, my first quilt was made in 1976 after my Mom passed away. I used her clothing and a 3 inch cardboard square as a template. I cut each piece by hand with scissors and made a "Trip around the world" pattern. (I didn't even know the pattern had a name until years later when I saw it in a book). I still have the quilt and remember each piece of fabric. I began using a rotary cutter and a mat when I started quilting again in 1983 or 84. patriciachpp@gmail.com

I was first introduced to olfa 10 or so years ago. While I don't have any visible scars from my rotary cutter, I do certainly have scars of embarrassment! What a riot trying to use for the first time...cutting every where except along the rulers edge:) Happy birthday olfa! After all these years I cannot imagine my life without you and your tools!

When I bought my first rotary cutter I was still living at home with my parents. I set it out on the table with some fabric to cut. My mom passed thru the room, glanced over at the items on the table, and asked me what in the world I was going to do with that pizza cutter?!

Happy birthday olfa. I started quilting in 2009 and only discovered the joy of Olfa in 2011. I have had a few harrowing calls with long nails being clipped and left on th fabric being cut. I have also careened over my finger once, but, luckily I did not spew blood over the fabric. Skin heals, blood is a bugger to get out of fabric. Have a good one and thanks for hosting a competition.

I think I bought my first rotary cutter in 2005, that was the year I made my first quilt and it was a log cabin, so I splurged and bought the rotary that comes with an attached ruler, made strip cutting easier than scissors! Didn't wound myself with that one, but oh the next one that was hand held left plenty of scars on my fingers and stains on my material. So glad to see OLFA has a cutting matt, I didn't know that!

I learned about rotary cutters from my mother, of course! She was a quilter long before I was and then we were shopping one day and I saw a beautiful bargello quilt I wanted to make so I signed up for the class. She gave me her rotary cutter and her Olfa mat, and showed me how to use them, and off I went! And yes I do have scars, including one slightly numb thumb tip where I cut through the nail!

Hi Bonnie,I took my first quilting class in 1992 to learn how to use the rotary cutter. I have always used Olfa cutters and mats. While teaching over the past 12 years I have had the opportunity to use many different brands but have not found any I like better than Olfa. So far in 22 years of quilting I have not cut myself yet.Thanks for the opportunity to win.Treshatreshacottrill@yahoo.com

I bought my first Olfa rotary cutter and matt 5 years ago when I decided to take up quilting. I love their products! I'm celebrating my birthday too....I wish it was the 35th one. Happy Birthday Olfa!!

LOVE OLFA!!! Bought mine at Crafty Corner in Worthington, MN in 1987. What a difference it made in my quilt making. I made a triangle log cabin and then a Lone Star quilt. The quilt I'd made before that took three years... I did these in a month! Paula Blakesewnsew27@yahoo.com

I started quilting in 2007. I have onlyknown olfa or friskers and prefer olfa. They come in many more sizes and the blades are easier to change. I like them because of how the blade gets covered. My cats try to play with it because of the yellow color and you have to push the cover off instead of push a button. They can't move it far. Enough to open it.

I bought my first Olfa rotary cutter in 2002. It's the tool that launched my passion for quilting. I've never cut my finger on a blade, but I did poke a sewing machine needle through one of my fingers...does that count?!!

I love my Ofla rotary cutter for quilting. I have been quilting since early '80 and started with cutting out paper templates. My mom gave me mine for Christmas one year and I have never looked back! Happy Birthday Olfa and thanks!

What a fun question. I know I joined the first day a quilt guild was formed in 1981 and heard about the rotary cutter at some point from gals there. Prior to that I was using some fancy smancy scissors that I could hardly afford at the time and have laid in their fancy box ever since. I smile when I see them ... in my marking and cutting supply drawer. How that cutter changed the world!!

OMG, I remember those days of drawing lines and cutting with scissors. I made my first mini that way and then realized I was never going to sew a full size quilt that way without figuring a better way. That's when I discovered the olfa cutter and mat....1991 was the year.Happy Birthday Olfa, you were a lifesaver!

Happy Birthday dear Olfa!! Started quilting in 1995ish? The first two items I bought to aid in the process were my Olfa cutter & mat...still have them, although the mat is no longer "healing"...I think the sun has damaged it...so even if I don't win the birthday gift, i'll invest in a new one to celebrate! Thank You, Bonnie! Lynne (lhoovini@aol.com)

I started quilting in the early 1980's with cardboard templates cut from cereal boxes, I discovered the rotary cutter in 1990 after joining a neighborhood quilt group. Wow, I went back and finished cutting a template project that had taken me 2 years, Happy Birthday Olfa. So far no major slices or dices in my life. Thanks Bonnie for you blog and free patterns. dhoctor@sbcglobal,net

I think I bought my in 1999 when i started to quilt but of course I have sliced my finger with it and sure learned to keep them away and not so close. Thanks for all you do Bonnie for us, I can't wait for quilt cam and your post. Wish more quilters could do quilt cam so they are so much fun like sewing at a guild. thanks

I'd never by quilting if not for rotary cutters! I probably got my first rotary cutter 15 years ago. I was pretty proud of the careful cutter I was! Until last Thanksgiving, when I got so excited cutting out pieces for my Celtic Solstice and nearly loped off the end of my finger - a few hours in the ER, a couple of stitches & my nail is now good as new. I am trying to build a good variety of rotary cutters and mats at home and at the cabin, so I don't need to drag tools every time we travel!

My mother, who taught me how to sew, gave me a rotary cutter and mat in about 1991, before I even started to quilt. I used it to cut out clothing pattern pieces, and then I discovered quilting!! It was then I realized what I had, what a gift she had given me. Happy Birthday Olfa!!

Hi, Bonnie. I got my first mat and rotary cutter about 1984. It was a really thick white mat and the small cutter; the rulers were separate by size (2" ruler; 2 1/2" ruler). I don't have any scars, but I have nicked many a ruler. I have also nicked my hand when I gently touched the blade after I had placed it open on the table. Ouch! I kept cutting not thinking I was bleeding. Just like a razor cut- bleeds like the dickens! Aren't you the sneaky one posting your strips for the next quilt but having all in sepia tones. If you had ever written a mystery, no one could figure out whodunit until the very end. You are really sly! Love it!

1999 at a quilt shop in. Yucca Valley, CA. Took a class because I wanted to make matching quilts for my 2 daughters room. Quilts were from Eleanor Burns Log Cabin Book. Still have the original Olfa cutter and mat. Mat is covered in brown spray paint- I used my chest freezer in the garage as a cutting surface. The paint fell off a shelf during the 7.6 Landers earthquake and sprayed the mat. Quilts are "retired" now- pretty tattered,torn and well loved.

I learned to quilt 4 years ago, so I've been lucky enough to always use rotary cutters. I remember though my Grandmother cutting individual pieces for king size patchwork quilts with her favorite shears. The hours she put into cutting! It was a labor of love though.

I learned to quilt from my Mother in the 50's. Didn't do much of it on my own until the early 80's when I started to work for a Mom and Pop fabric store. And if Olfa had not come on the scene, I probably wouldn't be quilting near as much now! Love their cutters, mats etc.Diana, RR,TX

Well, the scars of rotary cutters are too enumerable to count,however this last one was pretty bad. So, I purchased a Klutz glove! Have I worn it? Yes, just a few times...I still live dangerously with all of my rotary cutters. I would like to say I don't remember a time I didn't have a rotary cutter, but I don't...remember when I first got one...No. A quilter can never have too many cutters and scissors!

Happy Birthday Olfa! I started quilting in the late 70s/early 80s, so there were several quilts made with cardboard templates, tracing and scissors. Then came the Olfa rotary cutter, it was wonderful - and sharp. Somehow, I looked at it and thought, I bet that is sharp - then proceeded to somehow accidentally slice the back of my fingers while looking at it. I learned from that and love my rotary cutter! Thanks for the opportunity. Sherryswhalen944@yahoo.com

I bought my first Olfa in 1995 when I started making jean quilts for my six kids. Worked like a charm! Would love to win the Olfa with the smaller blade as I am working on pieced and more intricate quilts. Thanks for the give away chance. Edna in Kansas eddielouwho@ruraltel.net

I was "late" to the quilting bug. Saw my first demonstration of a rotary cutter 2009 it & was WOW! I never did finish my first quilt that I had hand cut but have made numerous ones since getting my rotary cutter. Wish I had know about it earlier in my sewing career. The small mat would be great for taking on trips

My first Olfa rotary cutter and mat was a gift in 1992. I started one little wall hanging, didn't finish it, but in 2011 the quilting bug bit me good! I have made many quilts since and have gone through a lot of rotary blades! Still on the same mat, but in desperate need of a new one!

I started my first quilt in 1992 using that same yardstick and scissors method. I didn't want to spend the money on quilting supplies since we were building our house at the time and money was tight. I think I bought my first one a few years later--it sure was a game-changer! Never had a cutting mishap (knock on wood).

I really don't remember my first use of rotary cutters, but I think it was probably within the first five years of their existence. I don't have any personal scars, but there's a table at the high school where I used to teach that got a battering one day. It was clean-up at the end of the hour when I discovered a girl had been busily cutting all hour without a mat!

Started quilting in 2001 so I don't remember life without my rotary cutter and mat. I did have one major "ouch" though ~ Sliced the tip of my finger off when I was making my daughter's HS graduation quilt. Now I'm working on her wedding quilt!

I love having an olfa rotary cutter. I probably would not be making quilts if not for them. They can be dangerous. I sliced a piece of the side of my finger. Thought it would never quit bleeding. Goes to show that you need to watch where you are going with it. I started quilting about 1990 so that is when I got my first one.

I don't really remember what year I got my first rotary cutter. I have to save my memory for stuff like birthdays and peoples names. I have never cut myself but I've lost a few fingernails and that was lesson enough thank you. I made many quilts with cereal box or diaper box templates and scissors. Can't say I miss doing that at all.

I got my first Rotary Cutter around 1985, I think. Always very careful to close the blade. But once I dropped it (closed) and the force hitting my foot caused the blade to open and cut my foot. Luckily it missed that big vein. So even with care they are a dangerous tool.

I started quilting in 1999 and bought my first rotary cutter that same year. Thankfully, my first quilt was a small (doll quilt for my daughter) because I cut the fabric for that with fabric scissors! Love my rotary cutters! Cheri cuffmail@aol.com

My first three quilts were of the red/white/blue variety~~what does that tell you? Yes, have been quilting and sewing for many years. I did learn to do the templates method and all first, including hand quilting, but once the rotary cutter came out, like you, really went to town with it! I have several Olfa cutters and use them all, except the special silver one they put out on the 25th anniversary, it's still in the box! Carol

I think around the late 80's is when I first used a rotary cutter. Agreed best invention to date for the quilter's. Saw a window decal last night and it was a rotary cutter which said...this is how I roll! Have to get one of those. nmerritt760@gmail.com

I love my Olfa! I started quilting in 2006. My friend visited one day with a very tiny cutter that you flipped the end off with your nail. I almost cut the tip of my thumb off! That ended my weekend of quilting. She promptly took the cutter away from me and I went back to my old one with a guard. Love it. Time for a new one. Hope I win it. Thanks for all you do for us. Gloria.

I remember also! My first quilt was using a cardboard template that I cut from a washing powders box. lol... Think I finally found the monies to purchase my first Olfa cutter (sm - 28mm) and green mat w no lines(18"x6") in 1988 or 1989 and promptly started cutting out my third quilt ever, a King size Trip Around the World 2" squares that was all hand pieced and quilted. What was I thinking!! LOL.... After making many more quilts, it was finally finished 2004.

I don't remember the year. I know I sewed a quilt in 1986 with templates and cut another one out that I am still working on. Then I found rotary cutters. Never had a physical accident but I have been cutting on my dinning room table and cut through the table cloth. He he .

I love rotary cutting! Have almost every size! Keep old blades to use on paper only cutter! Love my big mat which covers my buffet turned yarn bin, so I can have a permenant cutting space in my new sewing room!

I bought my first rotary cutter back in 1999. Mu husband and kids were up at our cottage for the weekend so I was taking advantage of the time alone to start my first quilt. I bought all my supplies and could not wait to get home to use them, the first cut I made I put my left hand down at the top of my ruler and zipped the rotary cutter right up along side it and into my hand, I screamed cause of the pain and ran to the sink, I could not get the bleeding to stop for sometime. But, I didn't let it stop me I wrapped my hand up, kept on going with my project, I promised myself I'd never do that again!! I've learned so much since then. I would love to win a new rotary cutter.

I started using rotary cutters in the 80's. They r great! I even use an old one for cutting wallpaper. I have no nicks or cuts from them and I hope to keep it that way. Thanks for all you do for us quilters Bonnie. Happy quilting everyone.

I used Olfa even when I was paper craftng years ago as my cutting mat of choice... my current one.. or fabric only was purchased when I started quilting in 2011. I would love to have a little one for little cuts though :) Thanks for the chance! Kathi

The Olfa Rotary cutter is the BEST use of the wheel since they invented the wheel! I almost cannot remember not having a rotary cutter - I own several and all are Olfa. I did use scissors to cut my quilt pieces back in the day because I have stated quilting almost 40 years ago.

I remember that first olfa cutter. Scary and fun! I had to make sure to hide it from my 4 toddlers as I didn't want them to cut themselves. My husband was the problem though. He found it and was cutting all sorts of stuff while I was not at home. I was upset that my blade was not lasting very long then one day I found that my mat had large cuts all the way through. Upon questioning my husband, he admitted to sort of using my cutter. That cutter and mat became his as he had to buy me new!!Sherry Walker from southeast Texasschoolnu76@gmail.com

I think I got my first rotary cutter in the early 1990's, although I helped my mom trace with templates and cut with scissors long before that. Although no permanent scars, I have had a few close calls cutting my fingernails.

I bought both the rotary cutter and a large mat for my mother in '85 or '86. She had developed arthritis in her hands and could not do the cutting necessary to continue sewing, which she loved. It was expensive but well worth it as she was able to continue to sew for many years. I still have that mat and rotary cutter and think of her when ever I use it. It surprised both of us how quickly she adapted to this new gadget. Within the next three months she had bought additional discs and a smaller cutter. Best present ever!

I bought my first rotary cutter and mat when I started quilting in 2001. I can remember taking my first class and having it drummed into my head that the mat AND cutter were weapons that could injure me and others around me. Well, yes, while they can cut you, I didn't realize that they were the armor we need to quilt. How could we be on active quilt duty without both of them?! Scars - yes there are a few battle scars, but again it is part of the quilt process...(sigh)

I started quilting in 1978, and made a bear paw baby quilt for my 2nd daughter, with templates! What a pain, but I went on to make a second quilt, rectangles around some embroidered Sue blocks with a yard stick! In 1984, I got my first rotary cutter and took an Elenor Burns class, the Irish Chain. I was definitely hooked! Email addy: mjblythe@yahoo.com